Dispensing machine



C. N. NEKLUTIN DISPENSING MACHINE Nov. 15, 1932.

Filed April 15. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVE/VTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1932. c. N. NEKLUTIN 1,383,047

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 H 7" TOENE Y Nov. 15, 1932. c. N. NEKLUTIN DISPENSING MACHINE Filed April 15. 1929 4 Sheets-sheaf. 3

2% wa M HM Ne m m M 5 ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1932. c. N. NEKLUTIN 1,888,047

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED ures coNsTA- wmE n. NExLoTrn, or 'EEBGUSGTN, Missonnr; Assionon-mo THE nm-vnnsnn Myron canyonrron, (Jr-s1. Louis, meson-are eonPoRATzon or nnmvrnnn Dispensin mnoiiinn Application filed Ainil 15,1929.v Seria vol-355,555.11

This invention relates generally to dispense ing machines and, more particularly, to acertain new and useful improvement in machines adapted combinedly for the dispensing of ,articlesand the display of advertising posters and the like. i 7

My invention has for its, prime objectthe provision of a machine adapted for exhibit ing one hy-one in succession for. visual inspection respective advertising-displays or the lik of a series, and combinedly dispensing simultaneously upon each such respectiveexhibition a useful or desired article or commodity. r

My invention has for another object the provision or" such a machine that is especially adapted for the dispensing of paper matches, such as are commonly put up in sO-Jcalled books or packets, although the machine n1ay also be employed for the dispensing ofother like artic es of merchandise, such as, for instance, box-es of matches, by simply varying the proportions of the machine.

invention has for st ll another ob ect the provis on 01 such .a machine character? ized by having a plurality of magazines for the storage of the merchandise or articles to p be dispensed, the machine delivering from each magaz ne, 1ntnrn,one,of the articles carried 1n the respective magazines, on the mane ual manipulation of a suitably handled lever operatively associated with the several maga-v zines for bringlng the latter, in turn, into registration with the deliverychute of the machine, the dispensed article being auto-V inatically discharged from said magazine into said delivery chute as said magazine is moved;v

over the delivery chute.

My invention has for a further ect the:

pro ision of such a machinein which .adver-. tising displays are presented to vlewin sequence as the magazines of the machine are successively advanced step by step frd1scharge of their contents, so that, by providinga di iilerent display on each card, the advertise ing value thereof is greatly increased both by reason or the variety of advertising ofiered and the moving or changing sequence thereof.

My invention has for a still further object the association with the machine of a coin? t mely simple nstructioni the one-c011: rol ed ppa a us ha ng a ingle tiltable coinei i g membe normal 'hstrnc ing the operative movement of tlie operating l ver o t e machine unlessa in Qt greaterthan a Predeterni' "Ted diameter "is, in.- ted into 'sai j iiemb gth lat r be g ass .ciated with [a stop, for, limiting the tilting My invention has'tor stillgturther objects the provision offsucha machine which be inexpensively manufacturechwhich is siine p eand compact in con truction, whiqh v nie tly nd r ad ly-operab e, and which i i ntinth per-ermine of it tende controlle device ch iact ri ed' y an; e

functions, and to improve general-1y, upon machines ofthe class described.

view, my invention r sides in; the 1110:2611 tea:

i s of f rm, c ns u tionsar angement, and combination of parts hereinafter- ,de-

c Figure s an en gQds Qtimi l p a viewof the n achinetaken approximately along;

the line 3+3, Figure. 1

Figured is an -nlargled vertical sectional i O th m hin partsthe eoi beingbroken away and in section I i 1 F g s 5 is a further en argeddete l f thelatch-lever and associated parts,,,other parts f h machine be ng b ok n and omitted; Y. i i I gur 6 is. a seqt on l plan i fiPP &- im'z t ly l g the fie- F-igen 1-5;

Fig e 7 i an el e v iraemen al detai f a pon i f th pantsshown mall/inure is;

And .With the above and other objects. in

, the machine;

ing one of the magazines in registration with the delivery chute, the feeder-arm being in the act of feeding a book of matches into saidv chute;

Figure 10 is a plan view similar to Figure 6, parts thereof being broken away, showing a coin controlled mechanism associated Figure 11 is a vertical sectionalview approximately along the line 1111, Figure 10, showing the normal locking-position of the coin-receiving member; and r Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11,

showing a coin positioned in the coin-receiv' ing member, the latter being tilted to permit the movement of the operating lever thereover.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, the machine includes a suitable preferably annular base or stand 1, preferably integral with which is a series of ribs 2 radiating from a central hub-member 3. Mounted at its lower margin, as at 4, upon the base 1, is the upstanding shell or casing 5 of the machine, the shell 5 having a roof 6 preferably formed centrally with a dome 7.

Fixed-at its lower end in the hub-member 3 and having its upper end disposed in the dome 7, as best seen in Figure 4, is an upstanding shaft or post 8.

Having a hub-portion 9 ournaled for oscillation on the shaft 8 with sliding bearing contact with the top of the hub-member 3, is a horizontally swingable operating-lever 10, whose handle-portion 11 projects for movement and for convenient lever-manipulation, outwardly through a suitable slot 12 formed horizontally for the purpose in the base 1.

Freely rotatable about the shaft 8 and supportingly bearing on the top of an antifriction plat-e 13 resting on the top, of the hub-portion 9 of the lever 10, is a feeder-plate 14 having a plurality of upstanding walls 15, 15, outwardly beyond which extend an equal number of feeder-shelves 16, 16. The walls 15,15, which are each medially divided by a vertical slot 17, in the present instance are four in number, each wall 15 supporting, as by rivets 18, 18, or other suitable fastening means, the inwardly returned ends of a tubular magazine or merchandise holder 19, there correspondingly being, in the resent instance, four such merchandise hol ers or magazines, each having a contour in plan suitably shaped and proportioned to the article to be dispensed or vended. Thus the magazines 19 may each be of different dimensions in cross-section and may be circular,

rectangular, oblong, square, oval, or anyothwith turned ends of each respective magazine 19 p are spaced, in registration with the slot 17 in the adjacent wall 15, to provide a slot 21 ex- I tending longitudinally throughout approxisponding longitudinal slot 22, preferably formed by striking out of the material of the magazine frontal wings or outstanding legs 23, which serve to stiffen the magazine structure as a whole.

The magazines 19 each extend upwardly from the feeder-plate 14 a suitable distance proportionately to the desired storage capacity of the machine. At their top, each magazine 19 is open for stocking purposes, and for feeding purposes, each of the feeder-shelves 16 is adapted to register with, and at the bottom of, a respective magazine 19 for supporting the column of m-erchandisable ar ticles 20. I

Asbest seen in Figure 9, the lower edges or delivery lips 24 of the respective magazines 19 are spaced from the respective feedershelves 16 to provide a feed-slot 25 suitably to permit the lateral movement therebetween of as many of the articles carried in the magazines as may be desired to be vended or dispensedat each operation of the machine. In the present instance, one book of matches 20 is intended to be delivered from each respective'magazine in sequence as the feeder-plate 14 is rotated, as will presently more particularly appear.

As each article 20 to be vended or dispensed is slid or shifted laterally through the feed slot 25 from beneath the superimposed column of like articles in the magazine, the article so laterally moved is dropped into a delivery chute 26 supported in any suitable manner for registration with a frontal delivery opening 27 provided in the base 1 (Figures 1 and 3). 'For this purpose, the feedershelves 16 are not co-extensive with the cross sectional area of the respective magazines,

but extend over approximately the leading half, with respect tothe movement of the magazine, of the lower or discharge opening thereof. In this way, suflicient space or clearanceis provided between the consecutive feeder-shelves 16 to permit the discharge of the vended or dispensed article therebetween.

- carried magazines 19 in th Fixed in thehorizontal plane. of the feedslots 25, for obstructively engaging the successive respective lowermost articles 20 in the several magazines 19, is a feeder-arm 28upstanding from one of the radiating ribs 2 of the base 1, as bestseen in Figures 4 and 9. The feeder-arm 28 is disposed on. the farther side of the delivery-chute 26 with respect to the rotatory movement of the'm'agazines 19 thereover, and its purpose or function is to cause the said successive respective lowermost articles 20 in the respective magazines 19 to be slid or shifted off its respective feedershelf 16 into the delivery chute 26 as the magazines 19 are moved therepast, which movement is accomplished by manual ma nipulation of the swingable operating-lever l0 and its co-operating-members, now to be described.

Depending from the feeder-plate 14, is a plurality of dogs or catches 29, there being as many of said catch-dogs .29 as there are magazines 19. Swingably mounted on a post 30 upstanding from one of the radiating ribs '2 of the base 1, is a latch-lever 31 provided at its free end with a notch, as at 32, the lever 31 being normally tensionally swung inward- 1y, as by a spring 33, for yielding detachable engagement at its notch 32 with an adjacent catch-dog 29. It follows that, when a catchdog 29 is engaged by the latch-lever 31, the feeder-plate 14 is latched against rotation, and the parts are preferably disposed so as to stop and retain the feeder-plate 1a and its position thereof best seen in Figure 3, that is-to say, just after an article 20 to be vended ordispensed'ha-s been discharged from one of the magazines 19 into the delivery chute 26.

Working in an. arc-shaped groove 34 formed in the latch-lever 31 .and pivotally spring-set on an arm 35 of the operating lever 10, as best seen in Figures 6 and 7, is a latch-releasing pawl 36 adapted, on swing- 1 movement of the lever 10, to yieldingly engage a shoulder 37 on the outer end of the latch-lever 31. Continued swinging movement of the lever 10 will cause the .pawl 36 to pivot on the arm 35, thereby causing the latch-lever 31 to swing about its pivot-point and be disengaged from the particular catchdog 29 caught in the latch-notch 32, so that the feeder-plate 14: and its carried magazines 19 may be free for rotation. i

Spring set on a bracket 38 preferably upstanding from the operating lever 10 and having its free end normally spacedfrom the adjacent catch-dog 29, as seen in Figure 7, when the feeder plate 14 is latched against rotation, is a detent pawl '39 adapted to impinge said adjacent catch-dog 29 just after the latch lever 31 has been released from its adjacent catch-dog 29. r In the present machine, the detent pawl 39-is oppositely disposed to the latch-pawl .36, suitably to the the; delivery chute previously set forth, that is tov say, the discharge from a magazine 19 of one or more of,

respective preparation for conformation of theoperating lever 19 but i this arrangement is ,onlyla matter of convemence. H

ofv the operating lever 10 Corr tinned movement oft-he operating-lever 1Q will cause the detent pawl 39 to engage-th-e feeder-plate .14, to rotate the same in a manner to cause one of the. 26, with consequences as the articles of mer'chandisebeing vended or magazines 19 to traverse dispensed, as desired or determined by the proportions of the several parts chine. 7 p

However, as the movement ofthe operating-lever 10 is continued, the pivotal movement of the swingable latch releasing 36 will ultimately bring the same toxa point where it willno longer engage the shoulder 37 on the latch lever 31, resulting. in the disof the maengagement of the pawl 36'from the" lever V 31, so that the latter may swing bacinnrged by or under. the tension of the spring 33, towards the now approaching catch-dog 29 that is next in sequence on the feeder-plate 14, the nextcatch-dog 29 being, in turn, caught by the latch-lever 31, thereby stopping rotation of the feeder-p'late114, withthe magazines 19 carried thereby in the same relative position with respect to the delivery-chute 26 as before, except, of course, that they have all been moved one step forward in sequence.

Upon completion of the operating moves ment of the lever 10,the operator releases the same, which is thereupon yieldingly returned to its starting point or'neutra'l position by means of a-spring or like tensional I device 40, the latter being'mo-unted in any sultable manner, or, as shown, it may comprise a 0011 spring wrapped around the hub 3 ofthe base 1, with one end bearing against under the catch-dog 29 next in sequence and resumes its described position as at the beginning of the operating movement of the lever 10. Meanwhile, the latch-releasing pawl 36 travels past the shoulder 37 on the -latchlever3l and moves through the arcuate groove 30 therein to resume its normal position, in I another operation of thelever 10. Y

l/Vhile the lever 10 has been described as freely movable on manual manipulation thereof, in Figures 10 to 12, inclusive, I show releasable means for obstructing the movementof the operating lever 10 bya coin controlled mechanism now to be described.

Having a shoulder 11 normally'disposed' 'in the path of travel of the operating lever walls 46, 46, providinga box-like coin receptacle 47. 1

An arm 48 on the tiltable member or detent normally impinges a stop 49 provided on the post 44, for limiting the upward tilting movement of the detent 42, which latter is yieldingly normally urged upwardly by a spring or like tensional member 50, which has one end bearing on the support and the other end bearing on the underside of the detent 42. The coin-receiving detent 42 is provided with a coin recess 51 opening through the meeting upper and end faces 52, 53 thereof for the reception of a-coin through the upper face 52, and the dischargethereof, as presently appearing, through the end face 53 into the coin receptacle 47. The'inner walls of the re ess include a shelf 54 for the repose of a coin 55 thereon when the detent 42 is in its normal position, that is to say, when the shoulder 41 will obstruct the movement of the operating lever 10 therepast, as shown in Figure 11.

A coin-chute 56 is mounted in the machine in any suitable manner, so as to clear the moving parts thereof, and serves to guide the deposited coin 55 for lodgement in the coinrecess 51 of the coin-receiving-member 42, said recess 51 being proportioned suitably to the size of the coin intended to co-operate with the coin-receiving member 42 for tilting the latter to clear the lever 10, as presently appearing.

The inner vertical wall 57 of the recess 51 is normally spaced from the adjacent edge of the operating lever 10 when the latter is in its neutral position, so that a coin deposited in said recess may rest thereon. Such a coin, as 55, will, if of the selected dimensions stated, project sufliciently above the advancing face 58 of the lever 10 to be engaged thereby on movement thereof, the lever 10 impinging the arcuately presented edge of the coin to ride thereover, thereby forcing the coin clownwardly against the ledge or shelf 54 and tilting the member 42 sufficiently to depress the shoulder 41 to clear the lever 10, the portion of the latter at this point being wide enough to continue to engage the edge of the coin until the face 58 has passed the shoulder 11.

Further movement of the lever 10 will release the coin 55, but the member 42 will continue to be depressed until the lever 10 has passed therebeyond, during which time the coin 55 will-roll off the nowsloping shelf 54 into the coin receptacle 47, the member 42 projecting, for this purpose, through a slot 59 in one of the walls 46 of the receptacle 2. w The stops 49 and 60 co-operate 47, the lo wer wall of the slot 59 preferably a stop, as at 60, for limiting the with al member 42 to'limit the tilting movement thereof, which limit may be predetermined the size of the coin intended to The stop 49, by limitsuitably to operate the device. ing ber 42, Will cause the shelf 54 tobe positioned so that only a coin having a diameter greater than a predetermined dlameter Wlll be en gaged by the lever 10, smaller coins pass ing, usually, through the recess 51 into the receptacle 47, and the member 42 will not be tilted sufficiently to clear the lever 10. The lower stop-6O limits the downward tilting movement of the member 42, so that a coin having a size greater than the predetermined diameter will not clear the lever 10,

thereby obstructing the passage of the same and preventing the further operation of the device. Y

Thus the tiltable member or coin-receiving detent 42 normally obstructs the movement of the lever 10 therepast except upon the insertion of acoin of proper size in the detent; likewise, an oversize coin will obstruct the movement of the lever 10 therepast, irrespective of the position of the detent. Hence, in a single tiltable detent, co-operating with suitable stops, 1 provide a coin-controlled mechanism opera-tiveto prevent the manipulation of the machine except upon the deposit of a proper coin therein.

Sometimes the articles of merchandise 20 in the respective magazines 19 are of such a character that they, will not properly feed onto the feeder shelf 16, and it is desirable that a weight or the like be'provided to press the articles 20 firmly downwardly therein. For this purpose, I provide a weight 61, having dimensions in plan slightly smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the respective magazines 19, so that the same may accommodate itself to the surface of the uppermost one of the articles 20, in the magazine, against 'which the weight will bear. In the present instance, the weight 61 will so accommodate itself by a rocking movement in the magazine, inasmuch as the present books of matches 29 are usually made in a somewhat triangular cross-section; consequently the upper surface of the topmost book will be first inclined in one direction,

7 and then, after thev discharge of the lower the upward tilting movement of the memeeann disposed obliquely upwardly and outwardly resented "flanges or'walls 62, as best seen i ure 9, so t while the weightSl may roclr in the magazine, the free edges Ofithe flanges 62 will substantially continuously an 1y forrotation about the shaft 8. The plate 64 carries afriction plate Shoo-operating with a friction plate 66 fixed against rotation on the shaft 8, but aXially-shiftable thereon. a spring 67 or like tensionalmember'is mounted over the shaft 8. with one end bearing against the plate66 and the other endbearingv against retainerpla'te or washer 68 held, place on the shaft 8 by means of a suitable in fastening device, as a cotter 69. The friction plat'es65 and 66 cooperate to prevent the too:

rapid turning of the magazine asse bly when the machine isin operation.

The casing 5 and its roof 6 are constructed preferably as a one piece stamping of dimensions to house the several magazines 19,

as best seen in Figures 4, and also housed in i V the shell 5, surrounding the assembly of magazines 19, and having notches 70 1n its lower margin for the reception therein-of 'suportin hws or arms 71' ro ectm from the 2* h i h respective magazines 19, is a cyhndrical frame or drum 7 2 adapted for rotation with in the casing 5 with the magazine. assembly.

Integrally' formed laterally extendin wing-lilzestruck-out portions 73 are located in spaced pairs of vertical rows around the outer perimeter of the drums 72, each pair of Wings 7 3 forming a retaining means for a display card or )oster 74, the side marginal edges thereof being inserted under the respective wings of the pair and over theperimeter of the shell between said pair of wings. he wings 7 3 are located with respect to out magazine assembly so that, when the latter is latched against rotation, that to say. is in aneutral position, a display card 74 will register with and be visually exhibited through a glazed frontal window 75 provided inthe housing 5. as best seen in Figure 1.

There are in the present instance, four d s play-cards 74 thus mounted on thedrum 72 for presenting to the window 75a plurali of displays in sequence as the magazines '1 of the machine are successively rotatorily advanced step by step, so that. by providing a different display on each card 74, the advertis plate 64 guidably sup-- porting the upper end of themagazine. assemu out departing from the nature and principle ing value thereofpin association with the vending or dispensing properties of the machine, is greatly increased both by reason of the variety of advertising offered and: the moving or changing sequencethereof.

wings 7 3- is preferably formed'in a manner "best seen in Figure 3, so as to forcethe side margins of the particular poster to bear against the horizontal-wall of the slot in the drum? 2 formed by striking out the wing in this manner, the poster 74 is retained against slipping downwardly-through the wings.- As best seen in Figure 4, a ring-like 'memberor'cae 76-is'detachablv mounted upon the drum 72, the ring 76 having a depending annular flangeEZ'Z'J-a dapted to receive the upperin argins of the posters for retaining the same in position on the drum 72.

Thecon'struction and use ofthe machine having been made clear as the descriptionthereof hasproceeded, it will be seen that I have accomplished the" objects of the invention in; a very simple and effective manner that the separately moving parts are relatively few innumber, compared with the complexity of the usual machine of the present class, and that the coin-controlledmechanism is-particularly simple and has, in'fact, practically 'onlylone moving member, with the result that the machine is easy to maintam in operatingcondipion, is notexpensive to manufacture, and is relatively light in weight v V p By simply removing the shell 5 and the drum 72, the magazines 19 may bereadily refilled or restocked; andby removing the cotter- 69, the entire magazine assembly' including the feeder-plate 14 and its carried magazines 19, maybe shifted oif the shaft 8 for access to vthe operatingmechanism on the, base 1.

In like manner, access to the display cards 7 4 70 The lowermost one in each of the rows of maybe readily attained by simply removing the housing 5 and the ring cap 76,

Inactual-practice, the machine has proven to be strong and reliable in operation and will dispense its contained articles of merchandise in-the mannerdescribed in a highly satisfactory manner. "Such machines are commonly placed in public places, where they are subject to abuse of all sorts, andthe characteristics enumerated are; therefore, of great value in this class of devices,'removed, as they are, from adequate supervision of com petent mechanics or suitable maintenance service." except at; long; intervals.

' While I have-shown and described the preferred embodimentpf my invention, it willv be rea dily understood 'th at changes and modi-T fications in the form,construction, arrangemenhand combination of the'several partsofthemachin'e maybe made and substituted for those hereinshown and described withof the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 5combination with a rotatable feeder plate and a plurality of article containing-magazines carried by the plate, of means for rotating said feeder-plate in step-by-step relationand means for effecting dog-release of the corresponding to the intended dispensing of d articles from the respective magazines in suc- CQSSlOIl, said means including a plurality of dogs mounted on the feeder plate, each of said dogs corresponding to one of the magazines, a swingable latch lever mounted 1n fi operative adjacence to the'p'ath of movement of said dogs, said lever'having'a latch notch at its free end adaptedto engage each of said dogs in sequence, an operating lever swing- I able about the center of rotation of said feeder plate, a latch pawl pivotally spring set on said operating lever, said latch lever having an arcuate Way for the movement of said latch pawl therein, said arcuate way terminatin g in a shoulder for engaging said latch pawl on movement of said operating lever in one direct-ion, said latch pawl pivoting on said operating lever to disengage said latch lever from 1ts engageddog, and a sprlng set detent pawl pivotally mounted on said open. ating lever adapted to engage another of said dogs on movement of said operating lever in sald d1rect1on.

2. In combination, in a" machine of the class described, a base, a postupstanding from s the base, a drum journaled for rotation on the post, means forefiecting rotary movement of the drum, and means for yieldingly retarding rotary movement of the drum, said last named means including a plate disposed about the post and having engagement with a- Wall of the drum, a second plate fixed on the post, and a spring interposed on the post between said plates and yieldingly engaging against the first one thereof.

3-. In combination, in a machine of the class described, a base, a post upstanding from the base, a plate mounted onthe post for'horizontal rotary movement relatively to the base, an annular series of spaced catchdogs on the plate, a notched latch pivotally mounted on the base and laterally swingable relatively to the plate for releasable engage ment with the successive dogs for latching the plate against rotary movement, and

{means for effecting dog-release of the latch and st-ep-by-step rotary movement of the 7 plate, said meansincluding an operating lever pivoted on the post for osczllatlon in a horizontalplane relatively to the.plate,'a first pawl pivot-ally mounted on the .lever for dog-releasing actuation of the latch, and a.

second pawl on the lever for plate-actuating engagementwith the successive dogs.

l. In combination, in a machine of the class baseaa plate an annular series of spaced catch-dogs on the plate, a spring-set notched arcuate latch pivotally mounted on the base and laterally swingable relatively to the plam for releasable engagement With the successive dogs for latching the plate against rotary movement,

the lever for plate-actuating engagementwith the successive dogs.

5. In'combination, in a machine of the class described, a base, a post upstanding from the base, a feeder-plate mounted for horizontal rotary movement relatively to the base, a plurality of article magazines carried by and upstanding from the plate and each having a discharge-slot, means for rotarily actuatingthe feeder plate and its carried maga mounted on the post for horizontal rotary movement relatively to the base,

zines, said means including an annular series of dogs disposed on the plate in spaced relation corresponding to therespective magazines, a notched arcuate latch pivotally mounted on the base and laterally swingable relatively to the plate for engaging the successive dogs for latching the plate against rotary movement, an operating lever mounted on the post for oscillation in a horizontal plane under the plate, and a pair of springset pawls pivoted on the lever for respectively actuating the latch out of plate-latching engagement with the dogs and for plate-actuating engagement with the respective dogs,and an article-discharging arm fixed on the base in the plane of the magazine-slots.

In testimony hereof,-I havesigned my name to this specification.

CONSTANTINE N. NEKLUTIN.

65 described, a base, a post upstanding from the r 

